Valve mechanism for pneumatic sheet feeding devices



Mal-c113, 1942. I E, KLUGE 2,274,797

VALVE MECHANISM FOR PNEUMAIIC SHEET FEEDING DEVICES Filed Aug. 4, 1941 4 Sheets-Sheet 1 a rwc/wfm Eneval I Klug March 3, 1942. KLUGE 2,274,797

VALVE MECHANISM FOR PNEUMATIC SHEET FEEDING DEVICES Filed Aug. 4, 1941 4 Sheets-Sheet 2 n h I fifneyal Kluge March 3, 1942.

KLUGE 2,274,797 VALVE MECHANISM FOR PNEUMATIQ SHEET FEEDING DEVICES Fi ledAug. 4, 1941 4 Sheets-Sheet 3 Fig.4 44 5 Z:

4 57" m I z? 5 a m 2.6

Emevgl Kluge March 3, 1942.

E. KLUGE VALVE MECHANISM FOR PNEUMATIC SI'HBET FEEDING DEVICES Filed Aug. 4 1941 4 Sheets-Sheet 4 Patented Mar. 3, 1942 r I 2,214,791, UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE VALVE MECHANISM FOR PNEUMATIC SHEET FEEDING DEVICES Eneval Kluge, St. Paul, Minn, assignor to I Brandtjen & Kluge, Inc., St. Paul, Minn a v corporation of Minnesota Application August 4, 1941, Serial No. 405,367

6 Claims.

- Patent No. 1,592,635, of July 13, 1926, both Of which matured from applications made by Abel Kluge and myself, disclose valve mechanisms for pneumatic sheet feeding devices of the instant character and upon which the present invention is an improvement.

In the development of automatic printing units embodying bed and platen presses combined with pneumatic sheet feeding and delivering devices, it has been desired, insofar as possible, to improve such printing units whereby, among other things, they might be rendered more speedy and yet more quiet and of greater longevity in use and. further, of greater accuracy in operation.

An object of the present invention is to provide an improved valve mechanism for interrupting and reestablishing suction in the suction feed members of pneumatic sheet feeding devices particularly, though not exclusively, for automaticpress units, it being a purpose of the invention to provide a mechanism of such character that is simple, relatively inexpensive, quiet in operation, readily adjustable and operable under different adjustments effectively to cause the sheets to begrasped and carried to a platen and accurately deposited thereon precisely in the locality selected notwithstanding the sizes of the sheets, the weights of the stock thereof, or the press speeds. I

Other objects of the invention reside in the novel combination and arrangement of parts and in the details of construction hereinafter illustrated and/or described.

In the drawings,.Fig. 1 is an elevational perspective view illustrating the head-piece of a sheetfeeding device in which is incorporated a valve mechanism constructed inembodime'nt of my present invention; Fig. 2 is a plan view of the structure shown in Fig. 1; Fig. 3 is a vertical sectional view in detail taken on the line 3-3 of Fig. 2; Fig. 4 is a vertical sectional view in detail taken on the line 44 of Fig. 2; Fig. 5 is a vertical sectional view in detail taken on the line 5-5 of Fig. 2; Fig. 6 and Fig. '7 are vertical sectional views taken on the line :r-zc of Fig. 2 and showing difierent positions assumed by' the valve lever in relation to different .positions of other parts of the sheet feeding device; Figs. 8, 9, wand 11 are detail views of various parts of the presently illustrated embodiment of my invention, Fig. 8 being a plan view of the auxiliary valve head, Figs. 9 and 10 being top and bottom views, respectively, of the valve body and Fig. 11 being a plan, view of the valve stem and of the main valve formed thereon.

cation with said chamber.

Referring to the accompanying drawings, wherein similar parts are designated by similar reference characters throughout the several views, I have shown in Fig. 1 a headpiece B of a pneumatic sheet feeding device which, aside from the valve mechanism therein, is constructed and operated substantially the same as the similar structure in the sheet feeding device disclosed in said Patent No. 1,592,635. Said headpiece B includes a horizontally disposed tubular bearing I0 and an-upright tubular housing II cast integrally with said bearing, the lower end of said housing being fitted over the upper end of the tubular standard I2 which communicates with suitable vacuumcreating means and within which suction is maintained. Rockable in bearing I I1 is an eccentric bushing I3 formed with a disc Id at its outer end and with an axially offset extension I5 at its inner end. Within a bore I6 extending through said bushing I3, disc I4 and extension I5 is a rock shaft II. A rocker arm I8 keyed to the outer end of the rock shaft I1 and operated through an upright rod I9 turns th rock shaft I1 and oscillates a feeder arm 20 mounted on the-inner end of said rock shaft. This arm 20 is hollow and is connected with the interior of the hollow suction standard I2 through afiexibletube 2I and the hereinafter described valve mechanism contained within the housing 'II, the free end of said feeder arm 20 being supplied with a conventional or any suit able'suction grip or grips (not shown) for taking a sheet from' a pack and depositing it upon screw holes 25 receiving screws 26 threaded into the upper end of said housing I I. Intermediate- I 1y of the valve body II is a cored-out chamber 21, the lower end portion of said body II having an annular series of axially offset suction bores 28 therein extending from the bottom. thereof to the chamber 21 and bringing the in-,

terior of the suction standard ILinto communi- Extending through the side of the housing II and threaded into the valve body 23 is a nipple 29 with which the flexible tube 2| is connected. The upper end portion of the valve body 23 has a series of axially offset serving to bring said chamber into communication with the atmosphere. The central portion of the bottom of the valve body 23 is planiform to form a seat 23 and flatly seated thereagainst is a disc-like main valve head 3| which 7 is formed integrally with a valve stem 32 rev-- oluble and slidable in an axialbore 33 in said valve body 23. This main valve head 3| has an annular series of axially offset ports 34 therein, said ports being registrable with the lower ends of the suction bores- 28 at the bottom of said body, said main valve head 3| being adapted to clear said suction bores 28 when the ports 34 are in registration therewith and to obstruct said bores when said ports are out of registration therewith. An auxiliary valve head 35. disclike in form, has a central opening 36 therein in which the upper portion of the valve stem 32 is revoluble and slidably received. Said auxiliary- 32 has a boss 39 thereon with an axial bore 48 therein whichfits over a reduced portion 4| of said stem 32. This boss 38 is 'keyed to said reduced portion 4| of said stem 32 by a key 42 and is axially held in place thereon by means of an end nut 43 fitted to a reduced threaded terminal portion 44 of said stem 32. A helical spring 45 interposedv between the boss 38 of said lever 38 and the top of the auxiliary valve head 35 yieldingly holds the latter seated on the seat 23 at the top of the valve body 23 and likewise holds the main valvehead 3| seated on the seat 23 at the bottom of said valve body 23. Said auxiliary'valve head 35 is adjustably tied to the valve lever 38 to efiect the angular adjustment of the former relative to the valve stem 32. To this end, a shifting lug 46 is formed on said valve stem 35, the same having an opening 41 (Fig. 4) therethrough freely receiving the intermediate portion of a tie-bolt 48, the headed end of which extends through and is caught upon the valve lever 38. The threaded end of the tie-bolt 48 is encircled by a helical spring 43 which is compressed between the shifting-lug 46 of the auxiliary valve 35 .and tensioning nuts on said tie bolt 48. The action of said spring 49 is to thrust said shifting lug 46 toward the valve lever 38 and turn the auxiliary valve head 35 relative to the valve stem 32 in a clockwise direction as seen in Fig. 2. Countering this action of said spring 48 is an adjusting screw 5| threaded through ,the valve lever 38. Said screw 5| has a disc-like head on the end thereof at the rear side of the lever 38 adjacent said shifting lug 46 and at its other end has a finger-piece 53 disposed at the rear side of said lever 38. Said screw head 52 has radial grooves 54 in its face and said face marginally engages a hardened spherical protuberance 55 issuing fromthe shifting lug 46 at a locality offset from the axis of the adjusting screw 5|.

By turning said screwscrew5| to retract the same, said auxiliary valve head is reversely turned on said valve stem 32, by the force of saidspring 48, as above indicated. The grooves in the face of the head 52 of said adjusting screw 5| catch on the protuberance 55 'and' pr vent any substantial unpremeditated turning of said screw 5|.

The inner end of the valve lever 46 is formed with a finger 58 which occupies a position near a guide pin 51' threaded into the top of the valve body 23. This finger 56 and guide pin 51 are provided to assist in securing the proper assemblage of parts of the valve mechanism. 7

The outer end of the valve lever 38 overreaches the disc H of the headpiece B and has at its extremity a rearwardly turned lug 58. An

arm 58 swung on the rock shaft |1 between the I rocker arm l8 and disc I4 is formed with a cam 68 at its free end to engage the lug 58 on the valve lever 38 and swing said lever forwardly. A link 6| joining the rocker arm l8 and cam arm 53 is pivoted at one end to the former and supplied with a slot 62 at the other end thereof.

A binding screw 63 threaded in a boss 64 on the arm 53 extends through said slot 62 and binds the link 6| against said boss. Said slot 62 permits of various angular adjustments of the cam 5| to advance. the same, the auxiliary v'alve head spring 48 on the tie-bolt 48, and by tuming'said arm 58 with respect to the rocker arm l8, whereby the valve lever 38 will be engaged and swung by the cam 60, earlier or later, through greater or less distances in the latter portion of thefeeding sweep of the feeder arm 20. To swing the valve lever 38 back from whatever forward position it may have assumed under the action of carn'60, I provide a down-tumed hook-like finger 65 issuing from the rear side of the valve lever 38 and disposed alongside the inner face of the rocking disc M. The depending end portion of said finger 65 is arched forwardly and forms a cam 66 which is engaged at its forward side by a pin 61 on said disc l4 and forced rearwardly by said pin when it is elevated upon the turning of said disc.

In the rearward starting position of the valve lever 38, the ports 34 of the mainvalve head- 3| on the valve stem 32 are in full registry with the suction bores 28 of the valve body 23, while the ports 31 of the auxiliary valve head 35 are fully out of registry with the air admission bores 38 of said valve body. Thus,the interior of the feeder arm 20 and the suctionfeed grips thereon subjected to the full suction existing in the standard l2, The forward swinging of said valve lever 38 from its said rearward starting position turns said valve stem 32 and shifts the ports 34 of said main valve head 3| out of registry with said suction bores 28, whereby suction to the feeder arm 28, created under vacuum maintained in the standard I2, is cut oil. Prior to, after, or simultaneously with the cutting off of suction to the feeder arm 20 by the main valve head 3|, according to the adjustment of the screw 5|, the ports 31 of the auxiliary valve 35 are brought into registry with the air admission bores 33 of the valve body, air from the outer atmosphere being thus allowed to-enter the suction. conduit between the feeder arm 28 and the main valve head 3|. Admitting airto the suction conduit, through the auxiliary valve head 35, prior to the closing of the main valve head 3| eases the suction in the feeder arm .28 and hastens the release of a sheet from the grips thereon upon the closing of said main valve head 3|, while such admission 'of air to said suction .conduit after 2,274,797 a 3 the closing of said main valve head 3| delays said chamber, said. suction bores and chamber the release of the sheet.- constituting a portion -o f.said suction conduit,

During the return swing of the feeder arm to the supply of sheets to be fed, the main valve ing with said main valve head 3|, the auxiliary valve head 35 is turned back into position obstructing the air admission bores of'said valve body.

In Fig. 6, the feeder arm 20 is diagrammatically shown in position for the taking of a sheet to be fed and in Fig. 7, said feeder arm 20 is shown at the end of its sheet feeding throw. When the feeder arm 20 swings to sheet taking position, the cam 66 on the valve lever 38 is engaged by the pin 61 on the rocking disc [4, said lever being thereby swung to its said rearward starting position (Fig. 6), and when said feeder arm 20 swings into the final stage of its feeding throw, the cam 60 engages'the valve lever 38 (Fig. 7) earlier or later in said state, according to the adjustment of the cam arm 59, the valve h'eads 3|, being therebytumed to cut off suction to the feeder arm 20 and admit air thereto.

The adjustment of the cam arm 59 is made piece 53 of the adjusting screw 5| is readily manipulated while the mechanism is in operation, and said screw is adjusted at such time when the observable effect of its adjustment guides the operator in securing the particular angular relationship between the auxiliary valve head 35 and the inainvalve head 3| which best accords with the particular sheets being fed, the then speed of the press,xand the selected .ultimate position of a fed sheet.

The disc-like valve heads 3|, 35 flatly seated on the valve body 23 and actuated through their common valve stem 32 make for an exceedingly simple construction that'is noiseless and durable regardless of speeds of operation. The series of suction bores 28 and air admission bores 30 in the valve body 23, and the corresponding series of' suction ports 34 and air admission ports 31 in the main valve head 3| and auxiliary valve head 35, respectively, are all circular'in cross-section and provide for that sensitivity of operation through which extreme accuracy in the dispositioning of fed sheets may be readily effected.

Changes in the specific form of my invention, as herein disclosed, may be made within the scope of what is claimed without departing from the spirit of my invention.

Having described my invention, what I claim as new and desire to protect by Letters Patent one end portion thereof and communicating -with 1. Valve mechanism for a pneumatic sheet a valve stem revoluble in the valve body, a main valve head fixed to said stem, said valve head being seated on said body and formed with ports therein registrable with said suction bores, said valve head being adapted to obstruct and to clear said bores, the other end portion of said valve body having a series of airadmission bores extending therethrough and communicating with said chamber, an auxiliary valve head seated on said valve body and revoluble on said valve stem, means for angularly adjusting the auxiliary valve head relative to said valve stem,

said auxiliary valvie head being formed with ports therein registrable with said air admission bores and being adapted to obstruct and to'clear said angular adjusting .means being interposed between said lug and said valve lever on the valve stem, the clearing by said auxiliary valve head of said air admission bores with reference to the obstruction of said suction bores by the main valve being relatively timed by the angular adjustment of the auxiliary valve head on said valve stem.

2. Valve mechanism, as set forth in claim 1, wherein said angular adjusting means com-' prises a screw threaded in the valev lever and engageable upon its advancement with the shifting lug on the auxiliary valve head to turn said auxiliary valve head in one direction relative to the valve stem, a bolt caught atoneend thereof on the valve leveran'd intermediately screw and in the direction opposite to that in acting upon said lug and lever to shift the for mer toward the latter and thereby turn, the

auxiliary valve head in one direction relative to the valve stem, an adjusting screw threaded in the valve lever and axially offset from said protuberance, said screw having a head thereon bearing against said protuberance and formed with latching recesses therein engageable with said protuberance to prevent the unpremeditated turning of the screw, said screw being adapted to limit the turning of the auxiliary valve headrelative to the valve stem under the action of said spring and being further adapted against the action of said spring, to turn said auxiliary valve head in the opposite direction "relative to said valve stem.

4. Valve mechanism for apneumatic sheet feeding device including a suction member movable from a sheet-receiving position through a succession of selective sheet-releasing positions and back again, a suction conduit communicating with said suction member and a pair of actuating members movable to and fro in accord with the movement of said suction member, said valve mechanism comprising a cylindrical valve body having an intermediate chamber therein and a series of suction bores extending through one end portion thereof and communicating with said chamber, said suction bores and chamber constituting a portion of said suction conduit, a valve stem revoluble in the valve body, a main valve head fixed to said stem, said valve head being seated on said body and formed with ports therein registrable with said suction bores, said valve head being adapted to obstruct and to clear said bores, the other end portion of said valve body having a series of air admission bores extending therethrough and communicating with said chamber, an auxiliary valve head on said valve stem having angular adjustment relative thereto and seated on said valve body, said auxiliary valve head being formed with ports therein registrable with said air admission bores and being adapted-t obstruct and to clear said air admission bores, a lever secured to said valve stem and swingable in one direction by one of said actuating members to cause the main valve head to obstruct said suction bores and cut off suction to said suction member in the feeding throw thereof and, further, to cause the auxiliary valve head to clear said air admission bores and admit air to the suction conduit between said main valve and said suction member, said lever municating with said chamber, an auxiliary valve head seated on the valve body at the end of said second end portion thereof and slidable on said valve stem and angularly adiustable relative thereto, said auxiliary valve head being formed with ports therein registrable with said air admission bores and being adapted to obstruct and to clear said" air admission bores, a spring acting against the auxiliary valve head and against said valve stem yieldingly to hold both oisaidvalve heads seated, a lever secured to said valve stem and swingable in one direction by one of said actuating members to cause the main valve headv to obstruct said suction bores and cut oil! suction to said suction member in the feeding throw thereof and, further, to cause the auxiliary valve head to clear said air admission bores and admit air to the suction conduit between said main valve and said suction member, said lever beingwith said suction member and a pair of actuating members movable to and fro in accord with the movement of said suction member, one of said actuating members being adjustable, said K valve mechanism comprising a cylindrical valve being swingable back to starting position by said other actuating member, said angular adjustment being effected by means comprising a spring for turning the auxiliary valve head in one direction relative to the valve stem, and an adjusting screw against which said spring reacts for turning said auxiliary valve head in the opposite direction relative to said valve stem, the clearing-by said auxiliary valve head of said air admission bores with reference to the obstruction of said suction bores by the main valve being relatively timed by the angular adjustment of the auxiliary valve head on said valve stem.

5. Valve mechanism for a penumatic sheet ieeding device in'culding a suction member movable from a sheet-receiving position through a succession of selective sheet-releasing positions and back again, a suction conduit communicating with saidsuction member and a pair of ac-- tuating members movable to and fro in accord with the movement of said suction member, said valve mechanism comprising a cylindrical valve body having an intermediate chamber therein and a series of suction bores extending through one end portion thereof and communicating with said chamber, said suction bores and chamber constituting a portion of said suction conduit, a valve stem revoluble and slidable in the valve body, a main valve head fixed to said stem, said valve head being seated on said body at the end of said end portion thereof and formed with ports therein registrable with said suction bores, said valve head being adapted to obstruct and to clear said suction bores, the other end portion of said valve body having-a series of air admission bores extending therethrough and combody'having an intermediate chamber therein and a series of suction bores extending through one end portion thereof and communicating with said chamber, said suction bores and chamber constituting a portion of said suction conduit, a valve stem revoluble in the valve body, a main valve head fixed to said stem, said valve head being seated on said body and formed with ports therein registrable with said suction bores, said valve head being adapted to obstruct and to clear said bores, the other end portion of said valve body having a series of air admission bores extending therethrough and communicating with said chamber, an auxiliary valve head on said valve stem angularly adjustable relative thereto and seated on said valve body, said auxiliary valve head being formed with ports therein registrable with said air admission bores and being adapted to obstruct and to clear said air admission bores, a lever secured to said valve stem and swingable in one direction by said adjustable actuating member to cause the main valve head to obstmct said suction bores and cut ofi suction to said suction member at a selected point in the feeding throw thereof and, further, to cause th auxiliary valve head to clear said air admission bores and admit air to .the suction conduit between said main valve and said suction member, said lever being swingable back to starting position by said other actuating member, the (clearing by said auxiliary valve head of said air admission bores 

